In all the preparation, however, are we overlooking the reason for the season? Is the nativity the center of our decoration or is it a giant inflatable snowman along with Santa peeping off the roof? We want our gifts and adornments to express love to our children. Yet, in understanding the nature of love we realize that it is like life. It cannot be created, only communicated. As our children grow older, it is important that we, as parents, explain to them that love existed before they were born. Just as love came before them, so God’s love came before ours. God loved us first. His is the world’s first love and our children need to know the source of love.

They will grow into a world of bitterness, hatred, selfishness, suspicion, pride, and ingratitude. When they find people that don’t seem lovable, they must realize that each one of them is loved by God.2

Expressing God’s personal love to our children is the greatest gift we can give them. The Christmas story tells of this love, when a Savior came to the earth in the most helpless of circumstances for our salvation. It was such a joyous event that angels could not keep from being the first to proclaim it. Let us revisit the first telling of the Christmas story and renew our wonderment of God’s gift to us in His Son.3

It was at the end of her pregnancy that Mary traveled with her husband Joseph to Bethlehem in order to fulfill their census duty. They walked among the people of the city and went unrecognized as the earthly parents of the Savior. They were homeless tired travelers searching the city for a place to rest and finally found a stable where animals were sheltered. It was here that the Redeemer of the world was born.

The people of Bethlehem had no idea an event in their small town was the focus of great rejoicing. Heavenly beings knew the whole world was brighter because of Christ’s presence. Angels were drawn to the earth to spread this important message. Above the hills of Bethlehem a countless throng of angels would soon gather to proclaim the good news.

Shepherds were gathered in the fields. Through the silent night hours they must have remembered and talked about the promise of a Savior. As they kept watch, the angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord was shone around them and they were so afraid. “Fear not,” the angel said,

“I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”

The Deliverer had come to Israel! The shepherds must have envisioned the Savior as a great king of glory, but the angel prepared them to recognize the Lord in a way they never expected. “This should be a sign unto you,” the angel said. “You shall find the child wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” At these final words, the joy of heaven could no longer be restrained; the whole area was suddenly lit up with a multitude of angels praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth, peace,
good will toward men.”
When the angels departed and the light faded, night once more fell on the hills of Bethlehem. The brightest picture ever seen by human eyes remained in the memory of the shepherds. “Let us now go into Bethlehem,” the shepherds told one another, “and see this thing…which the Lord has made known to us.” They came quickly and found Mary, Joseph, and the Infant Savior lying in the manger.

Upon leaving the stable, the shepherds were filled with great joy. They made known the things they had seen and heard. All that had heard it wondered at those things, which were told to them by the shepherds. Then, the shepherds returned to the fields, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen.

Heaven and earth are no wider apart today that when shepherds listened to angels’ rejoicing. God is just as much concerned about our lives as he was when common people of common occupations met angels. To every one of us in our common walks of life, heaven is very near. Have we carried on the message to our children and those around us with the same joy as the shepherds?

The story of Christ’s birth is an exhaustless theme. In it is hidden the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.4 We easily marvel at the Savior’s sacrifice in exchanging the throne of heaven for the manger.

Christ came into this world where Satan claimed dominion.5 He came as a helpless infant subject to all of our weaknesses. God allowed His Son to meet life’s dangers just like every one of us and to fight the battle as we must fight it, at the risk of failure and the loss of eternity.

The heart of every parent yearns for their child. We look into their eyes and worry at the thought of life’s dangers. We long to shield our little ones from evil, to keep them from temptation and conflict. In such worry, remember how God gave His Son to defeat a greater conflict at a more fearful risk, so that the path of life might be made sure for our children and us.

In time, holiday presents lose their appeal,6 but sharing the story of the world’s first love is a timeless gift that directs our children to the path of eternity.7

I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Unto you is born…a Savior,
which is Christ the Lord.”

1. A common belief, but there are actual medical studies that assert this, such as, Kawakami’s study (2005) entitled, Origins of smile and laughter: A preliminary study
2. Expressed by Bishop Fulton Sheen in his discussion of, love, marriage, and children
3. The Narrative is based on the Gospel of Luke Chapter 2
4. Romans 11:33
5. Luke 4:6
6. Some, of course, sooner than others…
7. Psalm 16:11; Romans 10:9; Proverbs 22:6; John 3:16

By Wade Anthony Cornelius